Bill Rau

Led by third-generation owner and published fine art expert Bill Rau, M.S. Rau Antiques has grown by leaps and bounds since his grandfather Max Rau opened the doors in 1912 to a then-small antiques store in the heart of New Orleans' historic French Quarter. Bill's extensive knowledge and reputation as a leader places him among the most respected antique experts and gallery owners today.

A New Orleans institution for over 100 years, M.S. Rau Antiques is among the premier antiques galleries in the world. Located in the heart of the French Quarter, our 25,000 square foot gallery overflows with incredible antiques by names including Tiffany & Co., Paul Revere and Fabergé. Our unparalleled selection of important, original paintings and sculpture spans the 16th through the 21st century, created by legendary artists such as Brueghel, Monet and Rockwell, and our diverse selection of exquisite jewels, including rare colored diamonds, Kashmir sapphires and Burma rubies is without equal.

Deep in the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, between the northern coast of Australia and the southern coast of China in an area commonly referred to as the "South Seas," one of nature's most outstanding treasures is being created.

It takes a minimum of two years for the large Pinctada maxima oyster to create a single South Sea pearl. Each begins its life as a tiny bead of mother-of-pearl carefully implanted into the mollusk. It is these implants that serve as the pearl's nucleus, accepting layer upon layer of the oyster's unmistakably vibrant nacre (the shimmering mother-of-pearl substance of which pearls are made), ultimately giving birth to the most desirable pearls in the world. These dazzling gems of the ocean are renowned not only for their tremendous size, but their breathtaking luster; characteristics that set the South Sea pearl above all others.

Measuring between 9mm and 18mm, South Sea pearls owe their great size and brilliance to several factors. The favorably temperate waters of the South Seas speed the mollusk's metabolism and increase the amount of nacre it is able to produce. The thick layering of this particular nacre is famed for its peerless glow, which appears to radiate from within the jewel, adding to the pearls rarity and desirability. The grand size of the Pinctada maxima itself, measuring upwards of a foot in diameter, allows the gem to develop unhindered in a spacious environment. Also, the waters of the South Seas are incredibly clean and rich in plankton, the oyster's primary food. Truly, the more content the oyster, the more impeccable the pearls!

This Golden South Sea Pearl Necklace boasts 31 magnificent jewels of the highly coveted gold hue. Ranging in size from 12mm-15mm, each of these brilliant pearls is exceptional in it’s own right, but combine them in one necklace, and you have reached a level of brilliance that took many years to achieve. When you consider that a single pearl of this size can take nearly a decade to form, combined with the fact that one must search thousands upon thousands of mollusks to maybe find a beautifully round, symmetrical gem, the true rarity of these precious treasures of the sea takes your breath away.

Click here to view and learn more about M.S. Rau Antiques' selection of South Sea pearls.

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August 26, 2010

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